easily depart from the simplicity of the words of the Holy-Ghost without manifest reason especially having the consent of all Antiquity I do therefore approve our English Translation so the sense is plaine and sweetly agrees with the precedent and following verses 1. With the fore-going words vers 20. According to my c. viz. this is that I ayme at heartily look and hope for that Ghrist be magnified if so 't is all one to me whether I live or die for this is my maine scope in living my very life to glorifie Christ by professing preaching loving his Gospell and suffering affliction for his Name and if I die now in my bonds besides that I shall seale his truth with my bloud this will turne to my great advantage in that being dissolved I shall be with Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non connectit sed insert Sicut in illo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heinsius in locum John 15.16 2. As sweetly doth this agree with the following verses which I reade thus But if to live in the flesh this be the fruit of my labour What then shall I choose I wot not For I am in a strait c. What fruit the conversion of soules that 's the only fruit of the ministry for that end were the Apostles sent So then if I live I shall have an occasion of bringing forth fruit to God by my ministry And what then shall I choose for to abide in the flesh is better for you Why because this is the fruit of my life to preach Christ and win soules to him and I have destined my whole life thereunto there 's his TO ME TO LIVE IS CHRIST but better for me to be dissolved Why because then I shall be with Christ There 's his AND TO DYE GAINE In these short words of the Text you have described the life and death of a true Christian in a double proposition his life by its object and end Christ. His death by its consequent and concomitant Gaine The necessary combination of these Christ with Life and Gaine with Death is intimated in the manner of enunciation which though it be not substantiall and formal but causall only and per concomitantiam as Logicians speake yet it is as like it as may be his life was so wholly devoted to Christ spent on Christ that Christ and nothing but Christ was to be found in his heart and wayes his gaine so inseparably conjoyned with his dissolution glory so sure to follow at the heeles of death as if there had been no difference betweene them but that Death had now put off with its sting its nature also and were now become not a privation but advancement of his being not a losse of life but a gainfull addition of glory Not to detaine you longer from that I principally intend from the propositions thus briefly explained arise two maine points of truth which I shall desire severally to open and then for a close joyntly to apply 1. Doctr. The maine object of a godly mans employment is Christ and his glory Or Christ is the life of a true Christian. 2. Doctr. A life truly Christian ever ends in a happy and gainfull death For explication of the former of these two termes must have some light here 1. Christ. What is carried in that 2. To live How Christ is life to a Christian 1. Christ is not here simply and absolutely considered in his person Act. 9.5 natures c. but Christ in his relations As Paul once lived against Christ so now he lives Christ in his Church Kingdome Gospell wayes ordinances Christ that is the magnifying of Christ by preaching his Gospell serving his Church building up his body obeying his will doing suffering for his Name So much is evident to an observant eye from the context as hath been already opened 2 How this is called his life For the fuller understanding whereof we must note 1. More generally Every thing is evidenced to live by its operation Sum. 1. q. 18.2 that is most proper to it As the life of a Plant consists in this that it receives nourishment and growth Of a beast in sense and motion Of men in reason and working according to reason So that the life of a man stands in that which he delights most in which he most intends Now there are not only naturall faculties in men inclining them to sutable operations but also superadded principles as habites vertuous or vicious inclining them to some kind of actions as it were naturally and making them delightfull to them Hence by way of similitude that operation that is delightfull to man in which he takes pleasure to walk to which he directs his course is called his life Hence some are said to live a voluptuous others a worldly life their thoughts and study are all on the world all their care is for it their delight wholly in it 2. But more particularly there is a life of the heart and of the hand 1. Love 1. Of the heart where the first weight and springing of the soule is love that so joyns the soule and its beloved that it lives as it were and enjoyes it self Non ubi animat sed ubi amat not in the body where it breathes but in that which it loves 2. 2. Care Hence for love is a commanding passion the mind the thoughts are imployed about that which the soule loves Lord saith David how I love thy Law Psal 119. al the day long is my study in it And this is set down as a characteristicall difference betwixt the life of a married and unmarried person by the Apostle 1 Cor. 7.32 Esay 32.6.8 the one careth for the things of the world the other for the things of the Lord And by the Prophet betwixt the life of the wicked and the godly the heart of the one works iniquity he devises wicked devices the other devises liberall things 3. 3. Desire Reinolds of Passions Hence also ariseth desire that is the wing of the soule whereby it moves and is carried to the thing which it loves as the Eagle to the carkasse to feed it self upon it and to be satisfied with it And this the Scripture holds forth as the very best character and truest lineament that can be drawn of the life of God and of the world Actions may be over-ruled by ends but desires are alwaies genuine and natural Pro. 11.23 The desire of the righteous is only good but the expectation of the wicked is wrath What-ever other defects may attend his actions this is an inseparable character of a pious soule that the maine streame of his desires the course and current of his heart is to God and goodnesse though he cannot shew himselfe in doing as he would yet hee desires good because it is Christ in whom is good and nothing but good Hag. 2.7 after whom are drawn all the affections and inward longings of his soul
I need adde no more for confirmation of so plaine and confessed a truth I shall touch only the ground which is the justice of God 2 Thess 1.6 seeing this is a righteous thing with God saith Paul as the Saints endevours do gaine to God so in justice he will see they be gainers by him againe Matth. 25.20 Not here for if in this life only we had hope c. therfore it must needs be hereafter Non si male nunc olim sic erit Ill here and hereafter too with the Saints it cannot be how then shall the judge of all the world do right Verily there is a reward for the righteous that 's not here given the day of this life is a time of working sweating suffering when the evening of death comes then comes the peny of eternall blisse Now for the application of all that hath been said 1 Then by your life you may judge what gainers you are like to be by your death If you can truly say I have not lived to my lusts they are death to me the deadnesse of my heart the hell of my soule Nor to the world I take not thought for the things of it I use it as if I used it not rejoyce in it as if I rejoyced not looke on all the things therein as impertinent to the main businesse of my life reserve the intentions of my soule the cheife of my strength for Christ Quia nomen Jesu non erat ibi as Augustine once said he loved Tully nothing so well after his conversion because the name of Jesus was not there so you can relish nothing farther then it hath reference to Christ if Christ be not injoyed in them honoured and exalted by them you looke on all as dead things If you have written on all the roomes of your soules as sometimes we find on doores where the Court hath been For the Prince So on your hearts For Christ Your minds to meditate on his word your affections to love and delight in his service hands to act tongue to speake to and for him O then happy are you When death comes it shall not spoyle you of your life but you shal be able to say as dying but behold wee live 2 Cor. 6.9 Though death be the losse of all other things to you it cannot be the losse of life you shall have more life in Christ then in your selves more of that by losing this Death is gaine to me why saith Chrysistome because I shall hereby have more knowledge of Christ my life more familyar converse more intimate fellowship with him this is all the hurt death shall do you to send you sooner to your life and free you from this that is not so fit for you But if you have lived to your lusts if your life be only carnall sensuall you can relish your meat sleepe and walke and talke that 's all your life to eate drink snort and sport Or only rationall you can discourse transact businesse yet continue strangers to the life and power of godlinesse Or only worldly you do all for the world in reference to your gaine honours make Christ himselfe come behind the ewes Religion a very lackey to your coveteousnesse ambition c. if you be active only about sense and reason and lust and gaine the life of holinesse not so much as sought after Christ and his glory Church and truth not regarded well may you be gainers by your life through sordid and wretched courses but this I tell you all that you are like to gaine by your death you may put into your eye and weep it out againe yea death will bring with it the greatest losse I say not of heaven that it may be you little regard but of all that you now count gay your gold your god death will take you by the sleeve as Gregory did once the Emperour Anastatius Psal 49.17 and tell you Sir this silken cassack this scarlet coat you shall not carry hence with you One sayd he was willing to dye but he feared theeves that had beleagured the passages in the ayre as he was to passe to heaven Doubtlesse if Christ be not your life if you have only lived the life of pride covetiousnesse wantonnesse c. death as the divils mercilesse sargeant catchpole will seize upon you take you by the throat and by a writ of firmâ ejectione turne you out of house and home strip you at once of all that you counted precious and dragge your froward and untoward soules to the lowest hell 2 Suffer I beseech you a word of exhortation would you be gainers by death let Christ be a gainer by your life make this your maine designe your only imployment to set up Christ in your owne and the hearts of others to advance his Gospel inlarge his Kingdome Let Ministers be burning lights spending themselves in giving light to the church of Christ not seeking their owne but the things of Christ Let Magestrates be as watchmen to keepe and defend the Spouse of Christ Cant. 3.3 Revel 12.16 as the earth helped the woman against the dragon to crush all the seedes of rebellion and opposition that ayme at the overthrow of the Gospell of Christ 2 Chron. 30 22. ◠Chron. 34.33 as Hezekiah speaking comfortably to the Levites that teach the good knowledge of God as good Josiah making the people to serve the Lord compelling them to come in that Gods house may be full And you Captaines of the Lords host and all you that fight his battles let this be the inscription on your weapons of warre as Alphonsus once had on his shield pro lege pro grege so you for Christ and his Kingdom for his Church and his Gospell All you christians Revel 14.1 let the name of Christ be written in your foreheads in all your hearts as they say t' was in the heart of Ignatius in golden letters let all your thoughts affections desires and endeavours be truly christian labour in a heavenly ambytion the advancement of the honour of your Masters Kingdome be valiant in your places and stations for his truth and Gospell This is truly to live to live only to and for Christ this the only life till we come to live with Christ in heaven for ever Here is al that can make a life comfortable the worldlings Trinity is truly here and here only to be found 1 This is the only honourable life called the divine nature the image life and glory of God 2 Cor. 8.23 2 Cor. 8.23 they that live to the benefit of the Church are the glory of Christ 2 True pleasure is to be found only here To live a life of carnall pleasure 1. Is to live a base life Epicures are spots vile persons in the Scriptures and natures account 2. A vaine life Ecle 2.2 a challenge to all the most cunning inventours of pleasure to tell if they can what
selves and soules too No lesse uncomfortable will the estate of self-livers be at the last True many do very much blesse themselves while they live in their heaped up and reserved stores and men may prayse them while they do well unto themselves but marke the sad catastrophe He shall go to the generation of his fathers Psa 49.18 19. they shall never see light they are shut out from the least glimps of comfort after death but what comfort have they in death Man being in honour understandeth not inebritated with present comforts or distracted with worldly cares they apprehend not the true scope of life and end of their being to direct their indeavours after that but drowne themselves in the cares and pleasures of life as if they had been borne only thereunto thus they live but how dye they like the beast that perish as in other respects so especially in this there is no regard had of the death of a bruit beast doth God take care for oxen living or dying no more care takes he for selfe-seeking men that that dyes let it dye will God say Zach. 11.9 Rom. 14.7 that that is to be cut off let it be cut off they lived to themselves and therfore let them dye to themselves Let all self-seekers Gallioes in the matters of Christ know as little as they care for God and his cause in life so little will he regard them in death but will say unto them goe unto the gods whom you have served do you come to me and commend your soules to me go to your lusts these were your lords in life to those you offered your service gave up your hearts see if they can now save you in the day of your trouble Cold comfort to a drooping dying soule yet this wil be the forlorn and cast off condition in death of a selfe-seeking life the greatest self-seekers wil prove the greatest self-losers at the last 2 Get the life of Christ in you If Christ be in you you cannot but live to him Quest. Answ But how may this be done I can hardly stay to tell you briefly this is effected on Gods part inwardly by his Spirit outwardly by his Word On our part only by beleeving so farre as any man knows Christ and beleeves in him 1 Joh. 5.11.12 so farre he lives in Christ God gives us life in his Sonne and faith takes it there is no difference betwixt beleeving and having in the language of the holy Ghost The stung Israelites looking on the brazen serpent though but with a squint weake yet a pitifull wishly eye were healed he that but looks on Christ in the Gospell earnestly fastning his minde on him reaching out his soule after him a broken selfe-denying heart affectionately desiring that Christ may come and live there cannot go off empty but while we are thus beholding Christ in the myrrour of the Gospel we are changed into the same image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Cor. 3.18 To clear this mystery yet a little more life is in the will and affections to love is to live now the Gospell is the ministry of love and therefore of life Would you have life goe not to mount Sinai Galath 4.24 Psal 133.3 that gendreth to bondage and works feare but goe to mount Sion there the Lord hath commanded a blessing of love and life for evermore Hebr. 12.18 19 20. That which keeps many in a state of strangenesse from the life of God is that they look on God as on a terrible Judge offended with them his wrath kindled ready to consume them in their transgressions this amazeth fils with confusion perplexity and feare they looke upon the Law as impossible to be kept charging duty without giving any strength to performe written in letters of blood threatning wrath and curse and death to the disobedient this makes men ready to flye in the face of God or to flye from him willing to give all the world if they had it to be free of the terrours of the Lord and challenge of conscience upon so fearefull a sentence as the law pronounceth against them they desire to heare no more of God to have no more to doe with him seeing Justice only in God and no mercy impotency in their natures to fulfill the law an vtter impossibility to helpe themselves by any thing they can doe or to doe any thing better then they have done no drawing neare to God for them think they But when they come to mount Sion see the goodnesse and mercy and tender compassion of God toward them see the covenant of grace and the blood of sprinkling that their sinnes shall be forgiven and nature cleansed and they inabled by the spirit for keeping the new covenant in such a manner as God requires and will accept this melts the heart renders it pliable to God begets a disposition of love to God which the Scripture calls the new life 3 Get your hearts filled with the graces of Christ They are all springs as it were living principles in abling and inclining to live to God 1 Cor. 13. Especially labour to get your soules filled with the love of Christ love is bountifull 't will make a man thinke nothing too much to be done for Christ no zealous and godly walking no reading hearing humbling confessing no duties too much whereby Christ may be exalted and it selfe expressed yea love will make a man not thinke his life too deare for Christ and his Gospell I count not my life deare unto my selfe that I might finish my course c. Act. 20.18 so he so in effect this noble Colonell whose funeralls we now solemnize he was of Saint Pauls spirit he thought nothing too much too deare to be layd out for Christ his Church and you He might truly say with our Apostle I am willing to spend and to be spent for you and I think go on although the more I love the lesse I am beloved of you I intend not any portraiture of him if I did or he needed my attestation I could tell you of his sweete temper mildnesse to admiration yet resolutions gallant and vigorous in all publique expeditions not fearing to take the lyon by the beard nor turning his back to the sword I could tell you of his gentlenesse to all indulgence to the Gospell best Ministers meeknesse in packing up injuryes to himselfe digesting without the least perturbation harshest carriages as if with St. Paul he tooke pleasure in reproches persecutions for Christ and his cause yet was he impartially active in punishing malignants against the cause of Christ therein another Moses indeede he was of a very sweete humble self-denying frame Concerning his last service in these parts it being his owne choyce and desire to do worthily in Ephratah be serviceable in his owne countrey I must professe as St. Paul once of his Timothy I know no man like minded